Road board members oppose vote on sales tax

Lenawee County’s three road commissioners said they believe the state Legislature is moving toward a ballot proposal to raise the state sales tax to fund road repairs. And they are against it.

“I think we’re going to see that for sure,” said road commissioner Donald Isley.

The amount of road damage this winter has convinced the public that something needs to be done, Isley said, and voters are letting lawmakers in Lansing know what they think.

“The pressure is on. You can see it up there,” Isley said at a road commission board meeting on Thursday.

Board chairman Stanley Wilson said he has been urging people who complain about worsening road conditions to call state legislators.

“With all the pressure that people are putting on them, maybe something will get done,” Wilson said.

Michigan is at the bottom of a list of states in the region for road funding, he said.

Managing director Scott Merillat said a 10 to 20 percent increase in limestone prices presented to the board Thursday is an example of how costs are rising while revenue for road work in Michigan is not.

“That’s been that way since 1997,” said road commissioner Robert Emery. Michigan’s last fuel tax increase was enacted that year.

A ballot proposal for a sales tax increase is not their choice for solving the funding problem.

“I don’t think the general public is well enough informed,” Emery said. Legislators are paid to do the work of evaluating road funding needs and making difficult decisions to raise taxes, he said.

“People don’t have the information before them to make a decision,” Wilson said.

“The legislators just need to step up to the plate and get it done. That’s what they get elected for,” Isley said.

Merillat said he is available to talk to local service groups and others to explain road funding issues. He drew up a presentation on Michigan road funding he gave during meetings with township officials in January.

In it, he calculated that a driver traveling 20,000 miles a year pays $190 a year in taxes. The road commission gets a $59 share of that amount which is divided, 75 percent for primary roads and 25 percent for local roads. That comes out to $15 a year to maintain local non-primary roads.